U.S. and South Korea call off joint military drill

A joint military drill by the United States and South Korea slated for August will not take place, the South Korean Defense Ministry confirmed Tuesday. The announcement comes after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed during last week’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to suspend “war games” with South Korea. The South’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday said the suspension would aid the two countries’ ongoing talks with North Korea. “South Korea and the U.S. made the decision as we believe this will contribute to maintaining such momentum,” said Choi Hyun-soo, the ministry’s spokeswoman. Kim on Tuesday began a two-day visit to China to discuss his next move after the denuclearization summit with Trump. U.S. Defense Department spokeswoman Dana White confirmed the suspension of the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises but said the countries have not made a decision about other joint exercises. Last year, the Ulchi Freedom exercises spanned 11 days and included 17,500 U.S. and 50,000 South Korean troops.